I'm Right Here
by Nozzo
Summary: A tag to 'The Shrine' - When John went to visit Rodney only to find he was not there panic instantly set in. - John and Rodney friendship.


Hi, this is my first Atlantis fanfic so please bear with me hehe and it's not beta-ed so all mistakes are my own.

Spoilers for 'The Shrine' Takes place after the pier scene but before Jeannie arrives.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, sadly ;)

Enjoy...

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John jogged down the corridor, breathing heavily with each step, panic flowing through his body but not outweighing the determination to find his friend.

"Rodney! Rodney?"

He stopped at the balcony where Zelenka had pinpointed the life sign he believed to be Mckay. With a swipe of his hand over the controls the doors slid open. John slowly stepped forward and with a soft questioning voice called out for Rodney.

"Rodney?"

He took another step forward and scanned the area in front of him. Sighing in defeat he walked forward to the balcony railing and gripped it tightly causing his knuckles to whiten. His head lowered and he let out a sigh. At that moment he heard a noise from behind him and instantly turned to the direction it had come from. There, huddled in a corner of the balcony, was Rodney.

"Rodney, buddy…what are ya doing out here huh?"

He walked over to the scientist who was sitting with his back against the wall and his knees hugged up against his chest. John knelt down in front of him so he could meet his eyes. Rodney looked up and smiled a smile that nearly broke John's heart. There was such an innocence about it, nothing was being hidden, there was no false agenda behind it. It was a pure childlike smile of pleasure at seeing John.

"Hi John." He said in a voice just above a whisper.

"Hi Rodney." John replied, placing a hand on Rodney's knee.

"I..I tried to find you…but there were s s so many people and the noises…they were too loud. I I couldn't find you John."

John's heart sank, the image of a lost and scared Mckay running through the halls of Atlantis plagued his thoughts. He frowned and attempted to rid the image from his mind.

"I'm right here buddy." came his simple but necessary reply. Rodney smiled the smile again and nodded in a sort of agreement.

It was at this moment that John realised the dressing gown that had been wrapped around Rodney for the last few days was missing, he briefly wondered where it was before realising that it was irrelevant and all that mattered was that Rodney was cold. He quickly removed his own jacket and draped it over the shivering scientist's shoulders. At first Rodney didn't seem to respond but after a moment he pulled the jacket tight around him and whispered "thank you".

"Come on buddy, lets say I get you outta here. Take a trip back to see Keller?"

The sentence seemed to wash over Rodney and a confused look appeared on his face. John cringed. The man who once spoke a mile a minute, the man who could once understand the most complicated of situations was now reduced to struggling to understand the basics. It wasn't fair. John shook his head and smiled encouragingly at Rodney before reaching out and gently taking his arms to help him up. Once standing Rodney, instead of moving towards the door, moved towards the balcony's rail. He was quickly followed by John.

"Rodney?"

Rodney didn't turn around, instead he became focused on the ocean, specifically one spot and although there was nothing visible there, his gaze did not move.

"I couldn't…find you…I wanted to, to see Sam."

It was a simple explanation but it still confused John none the less. He wondered if Rodney had forgotten that Col. Samantha Carter had left Atlantis and returned to Earth.

"Sam's not here Rodney…she's back on Earth. Remember?" The question was soft but with a hint of pleading. He so wanted Rodney to remember, though he knew that even if he did know now he would soon forget.

Rodney frowned and for the first time since he had moved from the floor to the balcony edge, he turned to John.

"No…no not _Sam_…Sam." There was a hint of, what any other person may have seen as anger, but John knew it wasn't, it was frustration. Frustration at not being understood, something that bothered Rodney even before the parasite had invaded his brain. Rodney turned back to face the ocean.

It took a moment but John then realised who Rodney was talking about. The whale. The friend that had found Rodney when he had been lost and had warned the city when it was in danger.

"The _whale_." John said with a small laugh.

Rodney nodded and John momentarily thought about reminding his friend that the whale was not out there, but he decided against it.

"Sam found me…I was cold and…and wet but Sam…" He paused and seemed to be going over the event in his mind. He let out a small laugh and nodded as if having some inner conversation with himself. "…Sam _was_ there…two Sams." He turned to John and gave a satisfied smile, as though he had just found the answer to a profound question. John of course didn't entirely understand, but smiled back even so.

It was then that Rodney began shivering again and John decided it was time to get his friend back inside. He gently placed a hand on the back of Rodney's neck and another on his elbow carefully guiding him away him the balcony edge. Rodney didn't protest and the two walked over towards the door, only stopping for a brief moment in which Rodney spoke.

"I couldn't find you John."

John smiled and moved his hand onto Rodney's shoulder giving it a friendly squeeze.

"I'm right here Rodney. I'll always be right here."

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Thanks for reading, hope you liked it. D

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